Victoria Chang Qualifies for NCAA Cross Country Championship
HONOLULU - University of Hawai`i cross country runner Victoria Chang was an automatic qualifier for the upcoming 2002 NCAA Division I Women's Cross Country Championships November 25 at Terre Haute, Ind.
Chang, a junior and a local product of Punahou School, found out late today that she was one of four individual automatic qualifiers from last weekend's West Regional in Palo Alto, Calif.
The NCAA takes the top two 7-member teams from the nine regionals, then added 13 at-large teams today. Also, the NCAA selected 38 (four from each of the nine regional sites and two at-large berths) individual runners. The top four runners are comprised of non-qualifying teams and must have placed in the Top 25 at the regional.
The NCAA Championships are Monday (7 a.m. HST) at the Wabash Family Sports Center with Indiana State acting as the host institution.
Chang qualified following a 12th place showing at the West Regional with a finishing time of 21 minutes and 51 seconds -- her fifth fastest 6000 meter time of her career.
Chang is the second straight runner to qualify for the NCAAs as Cheryl Smith garnered All-American status last year finishing 18th overall.